---

PINE RIVER - First-term Commissioner Scott Bruns told his fellow commissioners Tuesday he felt the county's delegation to Washington, D.C., to lobby for federal highway funds was well worth the time.

This was his first such trip and the eighth for county engineer David Enblom. They traveled for the first time with Leech Lake Tribal representatives, Tribal Councilman Steven White and Leech Lake Road Supervisor Art Chase.

The fact the county and tribal authorities have worked together recently on highway projects should help generate federal support for future projects like a planned bridge replacement at Federal Dam on County State Aid Highway 8, Enblom said.

The local delegation was able through their congressional representatives to get guidance on which federal programs might benefit Cass' highway needs best, helping the county board and tribal council be more successful in future grant applications, Enblom reported.

Currently, the Highway 8 bridge over the Leech River at Federal Dam is only wide enough to carry two-way vehicle traffic safely. When a new bridge gets funded, the plan will be to add width to accommodate a walking/biking lane and an outside lane beyond that to enable people to safely fish from the bridge.

Lori Koch, who compiled the highway department's annual report for 2014, noted Cass County had received about $1.6 to $1.9 million state aid road maintenance funding in recent years and matched that with another $700,000 to $800,000 local tax levy.

Most recent years, the county also has received about $3 million for state aid road construction and matched that with between $239,000 and $714,000 local tax levy.

Not all counties set aside a local tax levy to support their state aid road work, she said, so not all counties have been able to keep their roads in good condition during a period when costs have risen and state aids have remained about the same.

Enblom reported the city of Longville has obtained additional U.S. Department of Agriculture funding and some locally borrowed money to be able to pay the full $1.1 million bid to replace sewers in the city this summer, preliminary to a county highway repaving project there.

Construction for that project will take place later this year, but exact dates have yet to be determined. Total sewer and paving work at Longville is expected to cost $5.7 million.

The county board Tuesday approved two resolutions enabling the county to act as fiscal agent to process funding for the bike trail extension from Bena along Highway 2.

Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.[[In-content Ad]]

---